Berlin Packaging gains momentum in the beauty sector
The company has been investing in the beauty sector during the last five years, becoming a real phenomenon. We take stock with Vivien Charrey, Managing Director of Berlin Packaging Beauty, to have an overview of the innovative approach driving the most recent offering.
Please give us a brief history of Berlin Packaging. Where did you start, when, and what were the main stages of your growth, particularly with regard to the numerous acquisitions you have made? What will be your Group’s turnover this year, the number of people employed, and the number of factories worldwide?
Vivien Charrey: Berlin Packaging is the world’s largest Hybrid Packaging Supplier® for glass, plastic, metal packaging, and closures. With over 100 years of global industry experience, we provide end-to-end support (needs analysis, design and engineering, prototyping, decoration and branding, up to secondary packaging, warehousing and logistics) – across a wide range of end markets, including food, beverages, personal care, over-the-counter (OTC) products, veterinary, pharmaceutical, industrial, home fragrances, and beauty. In the EMEA region, Berlin Packaging employs over 1,100 people and collaborates with a global network of partners and warehouses, with more than 900 suppliers, with a portfolio of more than 50,000 products.
Beauty is strategic market for us, where we have focused on through organic and inorganic growth by leveraging on some key acquisitions to reinforce our footprint in this sector.
In a turbulent economic climate, how are you coping, particularly in terms of pricing?
Vivien Charrey: Our turnover in 2024 in the EMEA region reached $1 billion. This figure is in line with our expectations. In 2025, we focused on organic growth by consolidating existing partnerships and creating new synergies to improve our ability to provide comprehensive, customised solutions. This strategy strengthened our position as a strategic partner for companies involved in packaging in various sectors, including food and beverages and beauty. As for the impact of customs duties, this remains to be assessed, bearing in mind that our business model, based on the supply of highly diversified packaging in terms of materials and types, enables us to respond much better to this type of challenge. Our global presence also plays a major role, as we can ensure continuity of service to our customers and supply high-quality products wherever in the world they need us to be.
Europe remains a growth area, but it is not the only one. What are your strengths?
Vivien Charrey: Europe is one of our main markets. We are actively developing our presence in the Middle East, where demand for designer packaging in the beauty products market is growing rapidly. Brands in these regions are increasingly focusing on aesthetics, quality and differentiation. One of our competitive advantages is our ‘one-stop shop’ model, which combines the best in design and innovation, production services and customer solutions in the beauty packaging sector. When a customer contacts us, our professionals carefully evaluate and manage each project with a comprehensive approach that includes product design and planning, prototyping, decoration, secondary packaging and branding. All of this is aligned with the latest market trends and consumer preferences. Our significant capabilities, scale and independence from any specific material or production process allow us to constantly seek the best solutions tailored to our customers’ needs.
Another of our added values is the expertise of Studio One Eleven, our in-house design and innovation department with offices in the United States and the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa). Thanks to our team’s knowledge, we can create highly customised packaging for each sector, adapting to current trends while reflecting the unique style and requirements of each brand. Each project begins with an understanding of the brand’s needs and evolves by incorporating contemporary trends in design and communication, resulting in distinctive, consistent and market-ready packaging.
What are the main new products your group has launched this year?
Vivien Charrey: At the last Luxe Pack Monaco, we unveiled Future.Fill™, an innovative connection system designed to make the transition between refill and primary container seamless. Future.Fill™ connects the refillable bottle to dispensers using an intuitive and secure mechanism that is compatible with multiple types of packaging. This system allows brands to offer a complete and user-friendly refill experience while reducing material consumption and optimising logistics and storage. It is a significant step towards packaging circularity, combining design, sustainability and functionality. We are also expanding our Pockii collection to include personal care products with two new 300 ml and 150 ml PET bottles, also available in 100% PCR PET, with a 24/410 neck compatible with a wide range of dispensers, triggers and flip-top caps. The new formats retain the compact, rounded silhouette of the original range, but stand out with a warm, sensory colour palette designed to showcase skincare, body and haircare formulas in a contemporary and sustainable way.
AirLight PET Refill, our iconic refillable airless packaging, is evolving with the launch of the Refill & Go version. This compact, modular version has been designed to meet the needs of subscription formats, travel formats and gift sets, while offering the same intuitive and sustainable refill experience as the original range. AirLight PET Refill & Go optimises the use of components and minimises waste without compromising aesthetics or functionality, making it a strategic choice for brands seeking to innovate in the distribution and use of skincare products.
A question that has become routine, concerning the environment, which, as you know, is a major concern for all suppliers in the beauty industry. What are your strengths in this area? How do you deal with the pressure exerted by increasingly restrictive legislation, particularly in Europe, on the use of plastics?
Vivien Charrey: Sustainability is a crucial factor in our customers’ packaging choices and will continue to shape our business strategy for years to come. We believe that effective packaging should help us stand out from the competition, create a memorable user experience and mitigate the impact on the environment for current and future generations. New regulations, such as the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the Green Claims Directive and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), are having a significant impact on our customers’ businesses and strategies. As partners, we are helping these customers make this transition as smoothly as possible by stepping up our efforts and services in several areas. We are testing the recyclability of our packaging, replacing non-compliant products with innovative alternatives, reducing material use without compromising performance or aesthetics, and ensuring compliance with stricter material and labelling standards. The demand for recyclable and reusable solutions is accelerating our innovation in sustainable design and materials. At the same time, we manage the operational costs associated with compliance, material sourcing and reporting requirements. These changes provide us with an opportunity to strengthen our leadership position in sustainable packaging solutions, identify emerging markets with high growth potential and explore new sectors that can benefit from our Hybrid Packaging Supplier® model.
